NEWSLETTER No1 Newsletter published by “COOPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY OF MONTENEGRO AND SOCIAL WORK CENTRES” PROJECT

Operational Programme “Human Resource Development 2012-2013”

N°1

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Persons with disabilities and the RE

population are considered to be

one of the most vulnerable groups

in Montenegro in terms of their

access to education, employment,

social services, etc.

Within the framework of the

Component IV of the Instrument of

Pre-Accession Assistance

programme project “Cooperation

between Employment Agency of

Montenegro and Social Work

Centres” was designed with the

purpose to increase employability

and improve access to the labour

market for persons with disabilities

and RE population.

The project started in December

2015 and will run for 18 months.

Project Beneficiary:

Ministry of Labour and Social

Welfare (MLSW), the Directorate for

Social Welfare and Child protection

Target groups:

MLSW

Employees from Employment

Agency of Montenegro (EAM)

and its local branch offices

Employees from Social Work

Centres (SWC)

Persons with disabilities

RE population

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Component 1: Analysis of present

situation in the sector of social

inclusion mainly in local branch

offices of EAM and Social Work

Centres including analysis of

business solutions and capacities for

the activation and support of most

disadvantaged groups into the

labour market

Component 2: Conduct series of

workshops and joint trainings for

EAM and EAM local branch offices,

SWCs and representatives of social

partners as regards social inclusion

policies in Montenegro

Component 3: Develop and prepare

a detailed agreement between EAM

and SWCs and its dissemination, as

well as to undertake campaign for

the most disadvantaged groups

(persons with disabilities and RE

population) on the new improved

working methods

Component 4: Provide support to

potential grant applicants and grant

beneficiaries:

4.1. Training for potential grant

applicants to ESF (European

Structural Funds) type of projects;

4.2. Training for grant beneficiaries

on the grant scheme

“Implementation of trainings and

employment projects for persons

with disabilities and RE population”.

PROJECT OFFICE:

Moskovska 169/1

81000 Podgorica

Tel: + 382 20 510 108

Fax: + 382 20 510 108

Name: Vanja Hazl, Team Leader

E-mail: vanja.hazl@cooperation-me.eu

Name: Tatjana Tihomirović, KE2

E-mail: tatjana.tihomirovic@cooperation-

me.eu

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

This project is funded by the European Union

This Project is implemented by WYG International

NEWSLETTER No1 Newsletter published by “COOPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY OF MONTENEGRO AND SOCIAL WORK CENTRES” PROJECT

Operational Programme “Human Resource Development 2012-2013”

N°1

THE REPORT ON PRESENT

SITUATION IN SOCIAL

INCLUSION SECTOR

is the first major report of the

„Cooperation between Employment

Agency of Montenegro and Social Work

Centres“ project.

This report is aimed at providing an

insight into the present situation in the

Montenegrin social inclusion sector.

Within the Component 1 project team

analysed:

The existing legal, strategic and

administrative framework on the

support and integration of persons

with disabilities and RE population

in the labour market;

The current situation of existing

and missing support services in

the local communities, intended to

support the inclusion into the

labour market and professional

rehabilitation for persons with

disabilities and RE population; and

The institutional setting up of the

Employment Agency of

Montenegro and its local branches,

their links with professional

rehabilitation providers, Social

Work Centres and other social

partners that could assist persons

with disabilities registered in the

EAM to facilitate their better

access into the labour market.

The analysis started in March 2016

and the process of gathering

information ended in June 2016.

In order to undertake work on activities

within the Component 1 project team

has undertaken an extensive review of

both international and national

documents, over 150 documents have

been collected and reviewed.

3 working groups with 31

participants were formed and 2

meetings with them were organized. In

June 2016 National focus group

meeting was organized in Podgorica

with participants from 8 national

stakeholder organisations. Project

team also met with over 35 individuals

from different institutions and

bodies in Montenegro

By using quantitative and qualitative

information, the Report provides an

overview of the actual situation in the

social inclusion sector, highlighting both

the main strengths and drawbacks

emerging from current policy,

programmes, measures and data. The

Report also sets out the challenges that

future implementation of social and

employment policy will need to address.

WG MEETINGS

The purpose of the Working

groups’ meetings was the

exchange of the views and

experiences working with PwD and

RE population and discussion about

the existing legislative framework

and existing services to support

labour market integration of PwD

and RE population in Montenegro

and possibilities of their

improvements.

Specific objectives of the meetings

were:

To discuss the legal and

strategic framework in the

employment and social

inclusion sector;

To elaborate the existing (and

missing) services for PwD and

RE population

To elaborate cooperation

among different stakeholders

at local level

To identify examples of good

practices at local level.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

This project is funded by the European Union

This Project is implemented by WYG International

NEWSLETTER No1 Newsletter published by “COOPERATION BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY OF MONTENEGRO AND SOCIAL WORK CENTRES” PROJECT

Operational Programme “Human Resource Development 2012-2013”

N°1

WG 1 (Northern part of Montenegro)

o Bijelo Polje, Hotel Franca, 10 May

2016 and

o Bijelo Polje, Hotel Franca, 31 May

2016;

WG 2 (Central part of Montenegro):

o Podgorica, Ministry of Sustainable

Development and Tourism, 11 May

2016 and

o Nikšić, Social Work Centre, 1 June

2016;

WG 3 (Southern part of Montenegro):

o Bar, Municipality Bar 12 May 2016

and

Herceg Novi, Municipality Herceg

Novi 2 June 2016

NATIONAL FOCUS GROUP MEETING

The purpose of the National Focus

group meeting was to discuss the

preliminary findings of the Report on

Present Situation in Social Inclusion sector

in Montenegro and to present to the

national stakeholders the themes and

issues discussed at six meetings of three

Working groups organized on North, South

and Central regions of Montenegro during

May and June 2016.

At the end of June, Report will be

submitted to MLSW.

Final conclusion and

recommendations of the

analysis will be presented in

the Second issue of the Project

Newsletter in September 2016.

The Project Team would like to

thank the Project Beneficiary for the

support in organising Working and

Focus Group meetings and for

providing all relevant data and

information during work on

Component 1. We are also grateful

to UNDP office in Podgorica and

Employment Agency of Montenegro

who have openly shared their

existing research and data with us.

In particular, we would like to thank

the wide range of national and local

stakeholders who shared with us

their view on this important issue

during the production of the Report.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

This project is funded by the European Union

This Project is implemented by WYG International